Eagle and Iron Cross

Objectivity is a virtue admired and expected in both judges and historians. Regrettably, however, in the writing of history it is sometimes neither desired nor sought. Such is the case among certain historians whose focus has been the comparative combat effectiveness of the United States and German armed forces in the Second World War. Their writings not only misrepresented the work of at least one scholar, but also demonized others, belittling both their character and their contributions to the topic. All of this was done by substituting patriotism for objectivity, ignoring pertinent contrary historical evidence, and on the basis of a narrow conceptualization of the historical issues at hand.

Eagle and Iron Cross presents a more nuanced analysis of the comparative combat effectiveness of the United States and German armed forces in the Second World War, relying upon new evidence and a more balanced and detailed consideration of that evidence.